Just under one month after demanding a trade, throwing his future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into doubt, star defensive lineman Vita Vea is back with the franchise.

Vea and the Buccaneers reportedly agreed to a one-year, $30 million extension, keeping the All-Pro defensive lineman off the trade block, according to multiple reports.

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz had the news first, tweeting out Vea’s new deal.

Vea previously requested a trade from Tampa Bay on July 27, right before Tampa Bay entered training camp. The two sides couldn’t agree on a new long-term deal, leading Vea to look elsewhere, eyeing teams on the West Coast.

Tampa Bay never wanted to move him, and didn’t entertain the trade request. Now, they’ve locked up the star defensive lineman for the next two seasons.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Vea gets a $6 million increase this year, and his $30 million deal is fully guaranteed.

The former first-round pick at No. 12 overall out of Washington in the 2018 NFL Draft has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in football. He’s racked up 35.5 career sacks across eight seasons with the Buccaneers, has two Pro Bowls on his resume, and helped lead Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl title in 2020.

Last season as the anchor in the middle of the Buccaneers’ defense, Vea had four sacks, playing 764 snaps in the trenches. He graded out at a 72.9 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 62.6 against the run and a 77.0 as a pass rusher. Along with those four sacks, Vea had 51 pressures and 21 run stops.

Adding him back into the mix is huge for the Buccaneers, who lost key leaders in wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David in free agency and to retirement this offseason.

In his career, Vea has played 4,687 snaps, with 3,048 of those snaps over top of guards in the B gap.

The Steelers will have to deal with Vea in Week 6, and that will be a tall task for the likes of Mason McCormick – who moves to left guard this season — and one of Spencer Anderson or Brock Hoffman at right guard. The Steelers lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency, prompting shuffling at the positions next to center Zach Frazier.

According to Schultz, the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills had trade interest in Vea, but the Buccaneers didn’t entertain a trade.

The #Bears and #Bills were among the teams with interest in trading for Vita Vea, but the #Bucs never wanted to move him, per sources.

The deal is now done and Vea is under contract in total for 2 years, $54M. https://t.co/KY07p8GYyn

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 19, 2026

Vea’s extension comes just a few days after Steelers defensive lineman Keeanu Benton inked a four-year, $72 million deal to remain with the Steelers long term. Benton’s deal averages $18 million per season, though it breaks down into something much more manageable — and team-friendly — for the Black and Gold.

Other interior defensive linemen like Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter and Green Bay’s Devonte Wyatt signed contract extensions this offseason as well, making for a lucrative market for the big men up front defensively.